"Enemies Foreign and Domestic" Questions

[Moondancer]

Got some questions about a couple things read in the exceprts from Enemies Foreign and Domestic website ( http://matthewbracken.web.aplus.net ). Not questioning the use in the story, just are they fictional plot devices to enhance the plot or real.

Cellphones:
1. Brad states that cellphones can be turned on remotely and used as listening devices. True or False?
2. "The federal government had even mandated that all cell phones would soon have to be sold with a built in GPS capability..." True or False?

H&K MP-5: limited run for US government in 10mm. True or False?

Any confirmations or denials out there? As I said, I'm not interested in the veracity as it concerns the plot of the novel, just are they true in reality?

 

[Hkmp5sd]

As for the MP5, I know that Jane's lists versions of the MP5 manufactured for the US in 10mm and .40S&W.

Edited to remove bogus information caused by stupidity and/or some really good cold medication.

 

[ENC]

I believe it was called the MP10

and yes I want one.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Check out HKPRO.com.

Few things.

The MP5 10mm was not called the MP10; it's known as the MP5/10. The .40S&W version is the MP5/40.

They were both made prettymuch for the American Market. The FBI bought a bunch of the 10mm ones back when they adopted the 10mm round. Neither MP5 variant is in production any longer.

H&K never made a .45ACP MP5. They do make their new UMP in 9mm, .40, and .45, but not 10mm.

As for the cell phones thing...shrug. Easy enough to avoid. Don't have a cell phone.

 

[dude]

some of the State Troopers 'round here have them in the trunk of the crusier


I won't touch the rest as it is a bit too AssWebby for me!

 

[DeltaElite]

I want a MP-10.
I have the tracking chip in my head, since I tend to lose my cell phone, it made tracking me easier.
My cell phone doesn't work when I need it, so I am sure the eavesdropping Feds are greatly dissappointed in me.

Only one of the above statements is true.

 

[beckrodgers]

WE read that about the cell phones last year [gps] even rush has mentioned it. 10MM hk tp guns I Only Read of them in Rainbow SIX /TomClancey. Thanks

 

[Telperion]

On cell phones: yes, manufacturers are supposed to implement tracking on cell phones. I don't know if it will be GPS based, but that seems logical. The government claims this will be restricted for use only by 911 operators to determine caller's location in an emergency, go figure.

The remote-on and listening thing is a bit dubious. There is a very low-tech way to defeat this: remove the battery. It is also easy to tell when a cell phone is transmitting. The radiation it emits is enough to cause disruptions in some electrical equipment I work with. For example, holding a transmitting cell phone up to my monitor makes the display go nuts.

 

[Roadkill Coyote]

GPS is just one of the methods that is being implemented, with the choice of how to do it left up to the cell service providers. The system is already up and running in some places here in Colorado. For example, incoming cell 911 calls from new GPS enabled phones from one provider pop up the exact location at our dispatch center. The other local provider isn't up yet.

 

[Landfeldmesser]

I believe that they can track a specific cell phone, if its on, by using the cell towers(to within a certain area, not to the foot). The phones constantly update info with the servers, or something like that. I believe this is how they caught that boy a couple years back, the one what killed some people and was running across country.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Remote activation is possible, at least in theory. Many devices, such as cameras, are never truly OFF. Cell phones may be similar to that. Not sure how much info one would get from a cell phone which isn't close to a speaker's mouth...they don't pick up distant sounds well at all.

 

[Bravo11]

I have a GPS and a cell phone.
In most places where I use cell phone-like in the car or a store or at office or at home, the GPS wouldn't work because of reception.
Sometimes I can get the GPS to work in the car if I place it close to windshield. I've heard about GPS technology in cell phones and I don't see it working right now.

 

[JeremyIA]

Can you find me now? Good....

 

[KY Moose]

For the subgun question, it's still the MP5, just chambered in 10 mm. The FBI is the only federal agency that I know of who uses the 10 mm MP5 and I'm not sure how long they are going to continue to use it. Like it was posted above, HK has also chambered the MP5 in .40 S&W. That model is pretty popular among state, county and municipal law enforcement SWAT teams here in the US.

The way you can tell a 9x19 mm MP5 from those chambered in .40 S&W and 10 mm is by the magazine. The magazines for the 10 mm and .40 S&W are straight compared the curved magazines for the 9x19 mm models.

From what I understand, since HK introduced the UMP subgun, they are no longer offering the MP5 models in anything other than 9x19 mm. I don't even think HK is offering a 10 mm subgun any longer.

Most of the stuff about the cellphones is tin foil hat material for the most part. However, having worked in a 911 center that was working to get ready for the FCC's Phase 3 compliance, I can tell you that some (not very many) 911 centers will be able to get a general location on you when you dial 911. Some places can do this right now, but you can probably count those places using only one hand. Most if not the greatest majority of 911 centers will not be able to use this technology for a very long time. The place I used to work at is trying to get everything together and integrate it with the current Enhanced 911 system. Just to give you and idea, that was one of only two centers in at least a 50 to 75 mile radius who has E911. The rest either just have a dispatcher that answers a phone that is for 911, or don't even have 911 service, you still have to dial seven digits to get the state police or and ambulance.

Even the 911 agencies that have the Phase 3 technology going right now, still can't get a good location on you. They are not even able to get it down to a couple of feet. On Star has a better tracking system than any E911 cellphone service out there, and it will be a long time before current Phase 3 capable centers can catch up to On Star.